Page 25 of Selected By the Dragon Alien
Turi peeked through a sliver between Ellion’s body and the door edge to see Seggiat, her brother, standing beside their father. He brandished a rusty sickle and echoed the sentiment. “Give her back, you scaled demon!”
There was a collective gasp among the males at the accusatory words. No one insulted or made demands of the Axis’ overseer. They had to be beyond furious to step over this line, and they clearly were. Turi’s neighbors looked just as distressed and angry as her family.
Turi shrank further behind Ellion, her heart pounding. Her father’s words still rang in her ears, but her brother’s insult made her heart pound. She had no soft feelings for her brother or father, but she didn’t want to see them hurt or killed. She didn’t know how Ellion would react to being called a scaled demon.
Ellion spread his wings wide. She could imagine his silver eyes glinting dangerously. “You overstep, Terian,” he said in a soft, cold voice. “You dare call me that after the mark of protection I placed on your family home? It kept the scavengers and creatures out of your fields and gave you higher status.”
For a moment, her father and brother were quelled. They shrank back and the rest of the mob took a step back. The Riests quickly dropped into a bow. “We beg your forgiveness, Overseer. But you see, we—”
“There!” someone shouted. “I see one of the females! She’s behind him.”
Between her shifting around and Ellion moving his wings in agitation, one of the Terian males had caught a glimpse of her bright clothes through the gap. The momentary calm ended. The Terian males lifted their makeshift weapons.
Ellion’s wings twitched. He turned his head slightly, his silver eyes locking on Turi’s. “They’ve seen you. You can go with them, if you wish.” His voice was calm, almost indifferent, but a flicker of…something…flashed in his eyes. Was it disappointment? Turi wasn’t sure.
Turi stepped into the doorway, chin high. She leaned close to Ellion’s side and placed her hand firmly on his arm. It felt solid and warm beneath her fingers. The muscles there were rock hard. A strange, protective sensation overwhelmed her.
“Turi!” her father bellowed, his voice sharp with surprise. “Come here, now. He has no right to hold you.”
“Father,” she called out, her voice trembling, but firm. “I’m staying here.”
“No.” He took a step back as if she’d slapped him. “Have you lost your mind? He’s an overseer. He’s not Terian.You can’t takehimas your…” His voice trailed off, unable to articulate the unspoken rules that everyone knew and no one dared to question.
“He’s bewitched you!” Seggiat stepped forward, his eyes wild. “That’s the only explanation why you would prefer a Zaruxian to your own kind. He’s poisoned your mind.”
“Your daughter is here of her own free will,” Ellion said with an edge to his voice. “As for the others, they are gone, by order of the Axis.”
“Lies!” the first Riest shrieked. “The Axis would never take our females.”
Tregit advanced on Ellion, his face a mask of rage. “You will release my daughter. She’s promised to Thraip, who is owed a bondmate. You have no right to keep her here.”
Ellion remained impassive, his gaze fixed on Tregit, his wings still partially extended, making him appear impossibly large and intimidating. “She chooses where she stays. I will not force her to leave.”
“She’s been tricked! You’ve used your dark magic on her,” Tregit spat, pointing a thick finger at Ellion. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing! She belongs tome!”
“I belong to no one,” Turi said firmly, stepping forward. This was outrageous. Did he not remember how he put hobbles on her ankles despite her objections? The way she and her mother were treated as lesser beings? She met her father’s furious gaze, her own eyes blazing with defiance. “I choose to stay here. This is my home now.”
A ripple of shock ran through the crowd. Several of the men muttered amongst themselves, their faces etched with disbelief. One of her neighbors, Old Man Harrin, spoke up. “Turi, child, come back with us. This is madness. You don’t belong here with…withhim.”
Turi shook her head. “I do belong here. I’m safe here. I’mfreehere.” She glanced at Ellion, whose expression remained unreadable, but a faint tightening of his jaw betrayed some internal conflict.
“Free?” Seggiat sneered. “You’re a prisoner here. You’re just too foolish to realize it. He’ll use you as his…” He choked on the rest of the sentence, unable to voice the vulgar implication.
“And I was free at the settlement, where I couldn’t even choose my own bondmate?” Turi snapped. “Ellion treats me with respect. Something you and Fatherneveroffered Mother, our sisters, or me.”
“Well said, Turi,” Ellion murmured for her ears alone.
The accusation hung in the air, shocking the men into silence. Tregit’s face flushed a deep crimson. He opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. Finally, he shook his head slowly, as if unable to comprehend Turi’s words. “These are the ways of our people. You were treated no differently than any female of the settlement.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “And that’s the problem.”
Her father turned to the Riests. “The overseer may be our conduit to the Axis, but he twists the minds of our females and has taken my daughter for his own. This cannot stand.”
A collective growl rippled through the crowd. Several males shifted forward, brandishing their crude weapons. Seggiat let out a bloodcurdling snarl and threw his sickle. It clanged against the fortress wall beside Ellion’s head.
“Do that again, boy, and you’ll lose more than your tool.” Ellion’s patience was wearing thin. This was obvious to Turi, but the Terians didn’t see it.
The Riests, affected by Tregit’s words, did nothing to subdue the males’ growing fury. The Terians surged forward. Their anger reached a fever pitch. Several men threw rocks, which bounced off the fortress walls and struck the ground.